Tag Archives: hiatus

For the next week or so, things around here will slow down a bit as I intentionally go internet-silent. Responses to emails and comments will be delayed during that time. Kari-Lise and I are traveling to Amsterdam and Belgium for her birthday and meeting up with our travel pals, Kelcey and Jim. (The same fine folks who joined us in Scotland.) I might occasionally post to Instagram, so I do recommend following me if you’re interested in my travels. I’ll assemble a trip report upon my return!

My current plan is to resume normal blog activities around late-January. But, if you’re looking for something to read in the interim, here are a few of my more popular posts:

For the next ten days or so I will be intentionally incommunicado with this blog and the rest of the internet as a whole. Responses to emails and comments will be delayed. Kari-Lise and I will be traveling to New England, where we will be attending a wedding, visiting a National Park, and where I hope to eat a lobster roll (or seven.) I might occasionally post to Instagram, so if you’re not following me over there, feel free.

There are quite a few posts in the hopper (including one already scheduled.) My current plan is to resume normal blog activities around mid-September. If you’re looking for something to read here in the interim, here are a few of my more popular posts over the last few years:

Observant readers probably saw this coming after reading the alleged Ibn Battuta quote I shared on Wednesday. I am going on a trip! For two weeks! That means starting tomorrow, I Make Stories will be on hiatus as Kari-Lise and I spend some time among the mountains and islands of Scotland.

We’re going to be busy hiking, looking at shaggy cows, wandering castle ruins, eating haggis, taking photos, tasting scotch, poking around cairns, and exploring. We’ll be joined for the first week by friends of ours, fellow writer J. Rushing and photog/designer Kelcey Rushing. (I recommend following them both.) Ever since they absconded to Europe we don’t see them often enough so hanging out should be fun.

Make sure to follow me on Instagram or Twitter where I’ll be sharing photos. As always the goal is to return physically exhausted but mentally refreshed and inspired. The Highlands await, I’ll see you all in October.

Recently, I was asked by Mihir Wanchoo if I’d be interested in writing an article for Fantasy Book Critic. Mihir encouraged me to discuss how I approach combining genres in my writing and explore some of my inspirations. I was happy to oblige and decided to take it a bit further and delve into some of the tenants I’ve kept in mind while I work. The result is Life in the Weird, On the Blending of Genre. Here’s how it starts:

I never decided to write a genre-blending novel, it just happened. As a reader, I always craved weird books that are out of the ordinary. I tend to be turned off to a series that stays within traditional genre lines. It’s this predilection that drew me to Stephen King’s Dark Tower series, why I love China Miéville’s New Crobuzon stories so much, and why Neil Gaiman’s American Gods resonates with me. There’s something in those work that feels fresh, new, and free. So it’s only natural that those proclivities show up in my writing as well…

Also, I wanted to give everyone a heads up that I’m taking the next ten days off. This spring has been hectic. I’ve had revisions on my new fantasy project, I’ve been working on Coal Belly‘s rebirth, there been some outlining on the next Bell Forging novel, and I attended both Norwescon 39 and Lilac City Comicon. So as a bookend for a busy spring, Kari-Lise and I are going on vacation. The plan is to get lost in the mountains, islands, and deserts of California, do some hiking and unplug from the internet. (That said, knowing me, I’ll still find a bit of time to post to Instagram and Twitter. So make sure you’re following me to see what I’m up to.)

Some exciting things are coming when I get back. There are quite a few longer-form blog posts in the hopper including an exciting Wild Territories post (voted on by you!) So stick around, and I’ll see y’all in June.

Beginning today, I Make Stories will be on a brief hiatus as Kari-Lise and I are taking a week and traveling to the emptiness of Iceland to camp, hike, and explore. Since I’ll be lost in the back country most of the time, I won’t have reliable internet access so there’s little reason for me to try to keep up here. (I miiiight post to Instagram or Twitter should I find a signal.) I won’t be gone long, the plan is to return next week physically exhausted but mentally refreshed and inspired. We’ll see how I do.

For those of you who religiously visit to check out my Friday Link Packs (Thanks!) don’t worry, I have a special guest lined up to step into my shoes on the 28th. But, you’ll have to wait until the automated post goes live on Friday to find out who it will be. I’ll see all y’all in September.

Starting tomorrow my blog will be on temporary hiatus. I will be traveling to Australia to accompany Kari-Lise to her solo show “Here Amid the Wild Woods” in Melbourne. Afterward we’ll be hanging around the city for a few weeks. There we will eat good food, drink good drinks, hang with good friends, explore the city (and surrounding Victoria.) Calling this a hiatus is probably bit disingenuous, I may or may not post depending on time/muse/weather/etc but my first goal is to unplug, not blog.

In my absence there’s also four other blogs I’d recommend you check out:

The Shatzkin Files
Mike Shatzkin is by far one of the best sources for opinions and news on the publishing industry. It doesn’t matter how you publish, you should be reading his blog. Lots of insight.

Dave Farland’s Daily Kick in the Pants
Tips and trick on the craft. Farland is a speculative fiction veteran with a lot of solid advice. I’ve called out specific articles in the past but I’d recommend you visit him on a regular basis.

Lauren Sapala
My friend Lauren is a writing coach based out of San Francisco and she offers a lot though on the process of writing. If you’re looking for encouragement look no further than Lauren.

The Passive Voice
News, quotes, and opinion pieces collected from around the web. The Passive Voice is to writing and publishing what Engadget is to technology. A fantastic resource.

I’ll see you all in March.

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